Robert Nyang'echi an organic farmer tends to his vegetables planted on a vertical organic bag at his Getenga farm in Kisii County on 23/6/2021. [Sammy Omingo, Standard]
As farming spaces continue to shrink, more farmers in Gusii region are embracing creative models. Like is happening in cities, Kisii suffers from diminishing land parcels due to the increasing population.
Faced with that harsh reality, One Step Organic Farming group members in Getenga Village, Kisii County are now growing organic crops in portable gardens on their small plots.
The group chairlady Veronica Nyaboke says the 22 members came together to challenge one another and pool resources together.
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Given that most of them had small parcels of land and still wanted to farm, they started growing vegetables in large vertical bags and cone gardens that occupy small spaces.
“Our members came together and embraced organic farming and use of portable gardens after being trained by Biovision African Trust on the importance of growing crops with no chemicals and using little space to farm,” says Nyaboke.
New model
Pastor Nemuel Omenta, a member, says one vertical bag costs around Sh1,000 while making a cone garden costs around Sh4,000.
“On my farm, I have set up two vertical bags and a cone garden on the first floor of a house I am putting up. I never imagined I could farm so many vegetables given that I have little space left in my compound after my family members put up residential houses,” says Omenta.
Robert Nyang’echi, a police officer who is also a member of the group says they make their own manure using fermented rabbit urine mixed with molasses which also serves as a pesticide. Nyang’echi keeps cattle, chicken and also plants bananas.
“I have two large vertical bags in my small compound. I have planted at least 100 stems of spinach, kales and a variety of local vegetables in each of the bags which are planted organically. I harvest healthy vegetables for my family,” says Nyang’echi.
Sabina Nyasuguta, a member of Guavas Women Group at Kereri Village in the outskirts of Kisii Town says they have also seen the benefits of such farming.
Nyasuguta says: “We are glad that some of our group members who stay in rental houses are able to maintain portable vegetable gardens and earn income just like anyone else with a parcel of land.” To make pesticides, members mix aloe vera with ashes.
Pepper and black jack leaves are also mixed to make medicine that is given to chicken.
Organic library
Biovision African Trust Field Officer in charge of Kisii County Anthony Mukhongo says there are around 400 farmers who have embraced organic farming and usage of portable gardens in Kisii and Nyamira Counties. Mukhongo says they deal with four value chains -dairy farming, indigenous vegetables, local poultry and bananas farming.
“One portable vertical bag can be used for up to 10 years and can be moved from one area to another which has made farming easier. We even have members who are cultivating vegetables on 10th floor of a building with ease,” says Mukhongo.
To support such initiatives, Biovision African Trust is setting up an organic library at the Kisii Agricultural Training Centre where farmers can easily get information on organic farming.
The biggest challenge they face is that some pests on their farms are as a result of climate change and are thus hard to eliminate.
